Marcus Smart fined $25,000 after fight with Trae Young at end of Celtics-Hawks game

As you’d expect, Marcus Smart and Trae Young made a chippy pair Saturday in Atlanta.

In the final minutes of a game between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and All-Star point guard got into it, to the point where the two found themselves at the ground after Smart took Young with him. .

The impetus for the break-in seemed to come when a stray kick from Young ended up hitting Smart in a sensitive area of ​​a drive. Smart immediately confronted Young, who didn’t back down.

The end result was an ejection for Smart and a technical foul for Young. Smart had the last laugh, however, as the Celtics secured a victory 134-125 minutes later. Young finished the game with 35 points and 13 assists, while Smart had 11 points and six assists.

Official Sean Wright explained the decision to give Young a technique to a pool reporter after the game, describing the guard as “standing up and pointing a finger in Marcus Smart’s face.” Smart’s side of the action, meanwhile, has been called a “grab [Young] and tackles him to the ground.”

Neither player said much after the game, and Hawks head coach Quin Snyder said, “It’s over” and expressed a desire to move on.

The NBA then fined Smart $25,000 for his role in Monday’s incident. Young was not penalized.

The victory improved the Celtics’ record to 47-21 and brought them within 1.5 games of the Milwaukee Bucks for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.